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Topics - David Evans

#1
I wish I'd attended to my Transit's rust in a timely manner like Mike did on the Vandog LDV!
My part-time home, a 10 year old 54 reg Ford Transit van just failed its MOT on rust problems. The tester who phoned told me that due to the extent of the problem it is beyond economic repair. The shocking news hit me like an express train and I had to sit down.
It is rusted away completely on both sills, the seat belt anchorages are unsound, rusted through around the point where the wheel arches meet the floor and many other places. A year ago the tester merely made mention of three possible areas of rusty concern.
In a state of desperation (I've put so much work and money into my van that it is beyond mere monetary value) I phoned around for quotes to see if it was possible to get the necessary welding done, and the best firm - I hope - and price quoted is £1400 (I know, I could buy another van for that, but would it be the same story, plus re-fitting it out for months?)
They guarantee that after their work is finished it will pass the MOT.
I've booked it in for this coming Monday and it will be away for ten days - that length of time allows them to do it as and when, and brings the price down accordingly.
The reason I'm posting this is firstly as a warning to Transit owners (probably applies to every van owner actually!) to be really careful to treat any rust as soon as possible, as every bit of these vans seems to be considered 'structural' with regard to suspension mounting; and secondly to forewarn anyone looking around at vans to be really careful that what you are buying will last a comfortable length of time. If you already have a Transit I would get an expert to look at it and tell you where it is necessary to make any repairs now, before an MOT tester pokes holes in your underside(!).
I really hope I haven't worried you, but it's possible this is a timely warning and you may be able to prevent yourself having the horrible news I just had. I've fitted my home with so much equipment and garnishing that it's unimaginable to lose it, and having looked at alternatives I can't find anything I like as much.
Love to all, Dave.
#2
Common Room / Hi, my name is Dave..
February 04, 2015, 10:14:47 AM
Hi everyone. Firstly a big well done to Mike for creating this forum. To me it looks like a technological achievement akin to splitting the atom.

I'm a 56 year old self-employed property maintenance bloke. My trade is plumbing, but I do anything in the field of home improvement. The job is great because I can scrimp and save, then scoot off on my travels for as long as funds allow, then come back home and do some more working and saving for the next jaunt. Or I can do a bit of work for people while I'm travelling, and thereby extend my trip.

I live part time in a house and part time in my van. The van is a silver Transit van that formerly was solely my work van. I bought it from new in 2004 and toured Europe in it before I decided to convert it. It's now done 135,000 miles, so I'm starting to get reliability problems and a lot of what I believe is called 'Ford tinworm'. I can't afford to replace it so I'll have to try to keep it going somehow.

Before I did the conversion I travelled a fair bit in the van, and lying on the floor on an airbed staring up at a blank canvas is a great way to plan your project.

After going bonkers with insulation I ply-boarded and covered the entire inside with fake tabby cat fur. I wouldn't recommend it due to its impracticality, and would use Mike's t,g&v if I was to do it over.
Then I put in a shower/toilet cubicle like Mike's, tv, hob and grill, 100l fresh water tank, catalytic heater, fridge, sink, cupboards, hot and cold water, two skylights, one small window (so as not to totally ruin the stealth aspect) and a lot of colourful led lighting. There's a 100w solar panel (and mppt regulator) on the roof charging the main 110ah battery, and a split-charge relay for the secondary 75ah battery, the spare.
I put a slide-out step under the side door, but it's too low so pointless really.
Also I fitted a reversing camera, with a screen in the cab. I switch it on when either reversing or just curious about what's behind. There are cameras on the roof and below the tow hitch.
 
The bed is permanent and made from a proper mattress as I'm getting creaky and need the comfort.

I still want to put in some tunes - I have the same speakers as Mike but haven't found a good head unit yet. That shows my age a bit eh? A few years ago the tunes would've gone in way before anything else! Now I quite like to enjoy total silence while I read, or the sounds of nature, the sea, the birds, sheep, foxes, owls etc.

I've travelled across east as far as the Ukraine - Kiev, Kharkiv, Donetsk etc (the people of Ukraine are amongst the nicest, and the women there are unsurpassed in their beauty and elegance), through Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and so on. I've also done the round Western Europe trips down as far as Italy and across to Spain.  Wherever I go the people are wonderful, kind, helpful and generous, in fact the less they possess the more generous they are.

Away from my van I've travelled extensively across America and Canada, and through the Far East down to Australia and New Zealand. 

The travel bug never leaves you and the thrill of waking up in a new location where you arrived last night will never go; there is a colossal world of new adventures, and there is one big one still beckoning: since the channel tunnel was built we can sit in the driving seat from home in the UK right across to Eastern China. Why not, unless you are planning to do it in the next shot you get at life?

I don't know how people suffer 'settling down', but to me it's as appealing as a life sentence in Wormwood Scrubs. Some of us are just not cut out for it, though I'm grateful that my dear parents were!